Hours and Duties

As a TA at the University, you are a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 2278. The Collective Agreement between the Union and the University regulates the number of hours you work, your duties, your rate of pay, and the procedures you should follow for resolving disputes. The complete Collective Agreement between the TA Union (Canadian Union of Public Employees – Local 2278) and the University of British Columbia is available online at http://cupe2278.ca/blog/?page_id=749.
The following information is summarized or taken directly from the Collective Agreement.

ARTICLE 14 – HOURS AND SCHEDULING AND RESCHEDULING OF WORK

14.01 Hours of Work

(a) A full Teaching Assistantship involves an average of twelve (12) hours per week for the Winter Session (September 1 to April 30), for a total of 384 hours. The average applies to exclusive quadruples of adjacent months, commencing in September (September – October – November – December, January – February – March – April). The salary for a partial Teaching Assistantship shall be calculated on a pro rata basis.

(b) It is agreed that the employee and his/her immediate Supervisor have a mutual responsibility to ensure that the hours of work as defined in this Article are not exceeded.

(c) When a member of the Bargaining Unit is offered a position, he/she shall indicate accurately the nature of the positions(s) he/she already holds for the same appointment period to ensure that appropriate hourly limits are not exceeded.

(d) Authorized hours worked in excess of those agreed to under Article 14.01(a) shall be paid for at the pro rata hourly rate. Such hours shall be mutually agreed upon by the employee and the Supervisor and shall be authorized in writing by the Supervisor, and Head or Dean. Payment for all hours worked shall be included on the employee’s Statement of Earnings.

(e) When a Teaching Assistant appointment extends beyond the April 30th end date in Article 14.01 (a) above, the teaching assistant shall continue to be paid the current rate of pay of his/her original appointment.

ARTICLE 12 – JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES

12.01

Each department shall prepare detailed job descriptions which outline the general nature of duties for all positions for which the Union is the bargaining agent in that department.

12.02

(a) When assigning the duties in accordance with Articles 12.04 and 13.04 for a specific position within a job description, the hours applicable to each component of the duties will be allocated in writing. All applicable component duties, such as lecture attendance, laboratory or tutorial responsibilities, marking and grading, invigilation, planning meetings, student consultation and training should be discussed. With respect to scheduling of vacations, if responsibilities are anticipated to extend into the period between December 24 and January 1, this must be discussed, and an alternate allocation for vacation hours than that specified in Article 16.02, must be made. The Dean, Department Head or Supervisor shall have the right at any time to review with an employee the hours allocated.

(b) Employees shall have the right at any time to request a review of the hours allocated and shall have the right to be accompanied by their Union representatives at such a review. This review shall be undertaken within ten (l0) working days.

12.03

Failing agreement in the review meetings mentioned in Articles 12.01 and 12.02 above, either Party may take the matter up at Step III of the Grievance Procedure.

12.04 Duties

All of the duties of the employee assigned by the Dean, Head or Supervisor, including field trips which occur on weekends, shall be included in the job posting and in the calculation of required hours.